Lionel Messi versus Mohamed Salah is a matchup you don’t see every day. The Argentina, defending champions, meets Egypt this Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. And for those not glued to the TV late afternoon, good news: the match will be broadcast free-to-air and free streaming, accessible on your phone or tablet. We break down how to watch this Argentina-Egypt match wherever you are.
Kick-off is at 6 p.m. French time, the perfect window to start the evening. In a rarity: the two national teams have faced each other only twice in their history, never at the World Cup, and their last clash dates back to a friendly in 2008.
Argentina arrive as the favorites, but they wobbled in the previous round against Cape Verde, edged out only in extra time (3-2). Lionel Messi, aged 39, notched his 20th World Cup goal and is chasing a second consecutive world title. Opposing them, Egypt are on a historic run: the Pharaohs toppled Australia (1-1, 4-2 on penalties) to record their first victory in a knockout match, capped by a cool Panenka from Mohamed Salah. They reach this stage of the competition for the first time since 1934.
As with the marquee fixture of this 2026 World Cup, Argentina-Egypt will be broadcast free-to-air on M6. To watch it on your phone, head to M6+, the network’s streaming platform, which offers the match for free. You simply need to create a free account on the official M6 site or via the app.
M6+ works across most devices: iOS and Android smartphones, tablets, web browsers, connected TVs (Samsung, LG, Philips, Android TV) and operators’ set‑top boxes (Free, Orange, Bouygues Telecom, SFR). Convenient for following the Messi–Salah showdown on the move or from a terrace, at no cost. The platform also offers highlights and recaps of every tournament match.
To miss nothing of the 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup, beIN Sports remains the only channel in France to broadcast the entire tournament. This Argentina–Egypt match is therefore also shown on beIN Sports 1 for subscribers. The offer is available at 15 euros per month with no commitment, directly on the beIN Sports platform or via l'offre Canal+ Sport.
And to watch the match with a crowd, several fan zones in Paris are screening the 2026 World Cup games on giant screens. A showdown between the reigning world champions and one of this edition’s darlings, at apéro time: hard to imagine a better warm‑up before France’s quarterfinal against Morocco on Thursday.
